Leon McDougle, MD, MPH, chief diversity officer and associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion, recently served as a College of Medicine representative to Mandela Washington Fellows, where he presented information about U.S. health disparities.

Dr. McDougle’s presentation, “HIV and African Americans: Relationship to Cultural Competence, Implicit Bias and U.S. Jails and Prisons,” brought recognition to the significance of racism and modern day health care disparities and the relationship between incarceration rates of African Americans. Dr. McDougle also defined cultural competence and its role in eliminating HIV health disparities among African Americans as well as the impact that implicit bias has on health disparities among African Americans.

This unique group of fellows was selected for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, a flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training and networking. The Ohio State University is one of 38 academic institutions across the United States hosting a cohort of 25 fellows for a six-week public management and leadership institute organized by the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and the Center for African Studies.